What's It Going to Be?
by TheINFJLioness
Summary: First theory for why Austin and Ally didn't start dating again sooner. Austin lies to hide his pain, unbeknowst that Ally hears everything. She later confronts him about whether they are destined to be together. Really sweet and heartfelt. Title refers to verse from "Paradise by the Dashboard Light."
1. Chapter 1

Austin was upset.

No, it was not because his level of fame was going down (It wasn't).

No, it was not because his parents were forcing him to go to college (They were).

No, it was not because he was bullied for loving stuffed animals at age 17 (kind of).

It was because Ally, his best friend ever and the only girl he ever really loved, was with someone else.

All because he told her to move on.

A while back, Austin realized that he had a crush on Ally, and Ally realized the same. But both refused to tell each other because they were afraid their feelings would not be requited, as well as the fact that they would want to try to be a perfect couple.

Because of this, Austin tried to pursue Kira to get Ally jealous. Not that he didn't like Kira. He did a lot. She was a sweet girl.

He just didn't _love _her.

And once Kira agreed to be his girlfriend-_right _after Austin had just kissed Ally for the first time-Ally was heartbroken.

Which is why he broke up with Kira and serenaded her with the song Ally had secretly written about her feelings for him.

That was when they became a couple.

But then they broke up because they tried too hard to be perfect, and decided they would start dating again once they felt comfortable around each other.

But over the time they had gone back to being just friends, they had appeared to have forgotten why they had broken up.

It appeared as if they had broken up because they believed they weren't meant to be.

That was not why at all.

When Ally was jealous whenever she saw Austin with another girl, Austin had told her that she should move on.

It was as if he didn't love her anymore.

Or _like_ like her. Whatever they saw it as.

And now Ally was going out with Gavin, an easy-going, friendly country boy who was just as talented at music as her. Austin didn't know whether she was trying to make him jealous or she was genuinely moving on as he had told her.

He hoped it was the former.

But he said nothing.

Meanwhile, he had been chasing after a girl named Piper. Yet again, he did genuinely like her, even if she wasn't very attractive. But he didn't _love _her.

What he had for Ally was love.

Not high school love or all the crap.

Love like you want to love and be loved.

But one day, as Ally was working in Sonic Boom, Austin was sitting outside playing games on his phone.

Normally, his other two best friends, Dez and Trish, wouldn't ask him what was wrong.

But Austin looked as if he was trying to hide his sorrow behind a fake happy face.

"Dude, what's wrong?"

Austin looked up at the two quizzically. "Nothing's wrong. Why?"

Dez rolled his eyes. "Oh my gosh. We _know _when you are pretending to be happy! It's about Ally and Gavin, isn't it?"

Austin began to stutter. "N-n-no!"

Trish scoffed. "Austin, you told Trish and me that you still liked her _a week _ago!"

And being the idiot that he was at times, Austin decided to lie to hide his pain.

"You know what? I don't know why I was being so stupid. We were never supposed to be together. We're from different worlds. I'm out of her league. She may be my best friend, next to you, but I don't know what I was thinking by trying to go out with her."

A lie he really shouldn't' have told.

Because Ally had heard everything and was standing right behind him.

Dez's eyes went as wide as an owl's and pointed behind Austin, who turned around to find Ally glaring at him, with tears running down her cheeks.

Austin's mouth gaped in aghast. He felt like hitting himself over and over again until he had a migraine.

_You MORON! _he screamed at himself in his head.

"Ally, you don't understand…" he said, his eyes filled with lament.

"I understand _just fine._" Ally hissed, the tears pouring faster, and ran out of the store, sobbing loudly.

Now everyone in the store, except Dez and Trish, were giving Austin dirty looks. Austin's heart sank. He had just made the biggest mistake of his life. Bigger than the day he stole Ally's song. He just lied to his friends that he didn't love her and that they were never meant to be, just to hide the fact that he was dying inside, and he had tricked Ally into believing it!

They would never get back together now.

Not if Austin didn't do anything about it.

He had to make a plan to win her heart back.

**So what do you think? Good so far? Love it? Hate it? Neutral? **

**Tell me in the reviews.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here is Chapter 2. Please R&R.**

_What am I going to do?_ Austin thought anxiously as he paced back and forth inside the practice room. He had been waiting in the practice room all night. Ally hadn't come back at all.

_I bet we aren't even friends and partners anymore. _Austin thought melanchoily. _Not after what I've said. Not after what we've been through. Face it. What we had was true love. We were the other halves to each other. We loved and understood each other like no one else. No one in the world. And now she's gone. All because of me. _

_It's _all_ my fault._

The door opened, and Ally walked in. Her eyes were puffy, red, and swollen. Not to mention that they could see right through you with how angry she looked.

Austin turned around, gaping.

"Ally..." he began to beg.

"I can't believe we even became best friends and partners in the first place." Ally yelled.

Austin's heart felt like it just had an attack.

"What?" he whispered so quietly it was impossible to hear him.

"You couldn't write a song to save your life, so we became partners. We _really _hit it off as best friends! So well that we really were our other halves. That's what it felt like for me, and I thought that's what it felt like for you!" Ally shouted, the tears coming back again. "But no! You lied when you said that what we had would never end! Remember when you sang, 'I Think About You' to ask me out? I thought you meant what you said. But you didn't. I can't believe how blind I was." Now she wasn't even looking him in the eye. "I thought we broke up because we weren't ready to date, not because we weren't meant to be. But I guess you forgot that."

Austin's heart was being repeatedly stabbed with a dagger with all of the words that escaped Ally's mouth.

"_Of course_ I wanted to see you happy, but to have you avoiding me like this when it is so obvious that we love each other _so much_, I was nothing but _depressed_ on the inside!" Ally's voice grew louder, tears were now streaming like a river. "But you never loved me. You never loved any girl you flirted with. You don't love Piper. You just love girls for their looks. And you were only using me to become famous. Gavin would never do that. It should have been him whom I met instead of you!"

But as Ally was saying this, she knew that she didn't mean a single word she said. She needed Austin like she needed oxygen, and she hoped he felt the same way. She just thought Austin was being a total jerk for acting like their love was nothing for all this time. She was just so mad. She had no idea what she was saying.

Now it was Austin's turn. Because he was hurting just as badly as she was.

"I understand why you would accuse me of that. Completely." He whispered. "But what you don't understand is my motivations." He was looking her straight in the eyes. "I didn't want to get back together because I thought you didn't deserve me. After the way we tried so hard to be perfect around each other, I thought that I wasn't worth your time. I did it because I _loved _you." Now tears were pouring down his face. "But then I realized that if I really didn't deserve you, then we wouldn't be the best friends. The majority of people in their right mind wouldn't want to be friends with someone like me. Dumb, lazy, reckless, and a player. But you understand the reasons behind all of who I am, as I do for you." He then began to shout. "So when you decided to go out with Gavin, I wanted to _kill myself! _But I knew that if I really loved you, I would let you go. So I did. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't want to be with you."

He walked over, put his hands on her shoulders, and put his nose to hers, wiping her tears with his hands. Ally relaxed her shoulders and sighed. She looked down at her shoes before looking up at Austin once more, with eyes almost like a kicked puppy. But this time these eyes were more softened.

"I mean it when I say this, but I _need_ to be with you. _Forever._ I mean it with all my heart and soul. I couldn't stand how I was the reason that you were moving on. I failed you. I know you aren't happy with Gavin. I know you better than anyone. You don't love him. That's why I can't stand it anymore!" Austin sobbed. "Ally, I would _never_ in a _million years_ use you for my own happiness. That is not the reason why I asked you to be my partner. I asked you because we had the same dream, the same motivation. We just had two different ways of doing it. We would make a great team. But you deserve all of the fame I have. _All of it._"

Ally stared at Austin in shock.

Then, finally, he said, "You know why I've been flirting with girls constantly for so long? Yes, I do judge by looks, but not because I'm a pervert. I have been looking for true love forever, and I've always believed in love at first sight. Until I met you, I was chasing after other pretty girls. But when I met you, I didn't realize it, but I was in love with you. But since I didn't realize it yet, I was chasing after other girls. You should know I never loved Cassidy, Kira, Brooke, or any girl for that matter. I only ever loved you, and I always will only love you."

Ally, after staring at him in astonishment for 10 seconds, began to smile tearfully. This time, tears of _glee_ were pouring.

"I meant _every word_ of that song, Ally. But I felt you deserved better. And you do. But if you really agree that we are one soul in two different bodies, then we need to get back together, because I will be facing the rest of my life trying not to think suicidal thoughts, because I know you would never be happy without me. I would never be completed without you."

Faster went the tears. On both of their faces.

Ally's lip quivered, as if she was about to bawl once more. Before they knew it, she cupped his face and kissed him tenderly yet passionately. Austin immediately kissed back, putting his hand through her silky, ombre hair, and his other on her lower back.

**Well? What do you think? Was this in character? Or was it OOC? Did it make you cry? Was it really sweet and heartfelt to you?**


End file.
